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Cheddar Parsley Scones

Another riff on the always popular Cheddar Scallion Scones, this one with fresh, flat-leaf parsely and red onion. In this version, I replaced the scallions with 1/4 cup each of finely chopped red onion and chopped fresh parsley; swapped 1 cup of spelt flour for 1 cup of whole wheat, and added another 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper. I also made these into mini-scones: separate the dough into two halves; shape each half into a rectangle about 4″ x 10″ x 1 and 1/2″ high; with the long side of the rectangle facing you (top & bottom), slice the rectangle in half (for 2 pieces), then slice each of those rectangles in half (for 4 pieces), and in half again (for a total of 8 pieces). Make one slice lengthwise down the middle to create 16 rectangular mini-scones. Bake for about 20 minutes, although start watching them at 15 minutes or so; these little scones will go from “perfectly done” to “too dry” very quickly.

Mini-scones are great for feeding a crowd; in fact, for parties I will often cut these in half again for a total of 32 bite-sized scones. In addition, they are excellent portion control; Mom is trying to lose some weight, and while a cheese scone isn’t everyone’s idea of “diet” food, consider the fact that a typical bakery scone is 5 to 6 times the size of one of these savory little wonders. You can eat two of these without feeling deprived, yet still have only 3/4 oz of cheese along with a healthy serving of whole grains, low-fat buttermilk and fresh herbs. For someone like Mom, who grew up during the Depression and was well trained to “clean your plate”, smaller, two-bite-sized scones are perfect for snacking on throughout the day. Scone dough also freezes extremely well, so if you are trying to trim some pounds yourself, and don’t want to have an entire batch on hand, bake up only what you want for a day or two and freeze the rest. Bake frozen scones without thawing; simply add another 3 – 5 minutes to the baking time.

If you have access to local flour, it’s easy to make these scones 100% local (with the exception of baking powder); check out your local farmer’s market for a high quality cheddar and fresh herbs. Ask dairy farmers about local buttermilk – it’s not always on display at the market, but many dairy farms make and/or sell it, and will bring some if you ask.